Sweetwater Campground - Allatoona Lake
Canton, Georgia · on Allatoona Lake · Allatoona Recreation Area
Verified · 5 independent sources
- WATER
- reservoir
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- $10
- SEASON
- Varies by conditions
About Sweetwater Campground - Allatoona Lake
Sweetwater Campground and its adjoining Sweetwater Day Use Area sit on Allatoona Lake near Canton, Georgia, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Etowah River. The Corps operates a designated swim beach here alongside a large drive-up campground, with swimming officially listed as a permitted lake activity.
The site sits on the shoreline of Allatoona Lake, an 11-mile-long, 270-mile-shoreline Corps of Engineers reservoir in the rolling, hardwood-forested hills of north Georgia (oak, maple, blackgum, dogwood, magnolia, hickory, with a fern and honeysuckle understory), about 45-50 miles north of Atlanta near Cartersville and Canton.
Swimming at Sweetwater Campground - Allatoona Lake
Swimming happens at a Corps-designated sand beach at the Sweetwater Day Use Area, immediately adjacent to the campground's dock, on the open water of Allatoona Lake rather than in a river or creek current. It is a lake swim area suited to families and campers rather than a wilderness swimming hole.
How to get to this swimming hole
From I-75, take exit 290 (Hwy 20) and go east toward Canton/Rome; after roughly 10-12 miles turn onto Fields Chapel Road (gas station on the corner) and continue past the campground entrance to the road's end at the Day Use Area/beach. From I-575, take exit 16 (or the Hwy 5/Hwy 20 route) and head west on Hwy 20 to Fields Chapel Road, then follow it in.
Parking: Day-use parking is provided at the Sweetwater Day Use Area at the end of Fields Chapel Road; campground guests park at their reserved sites near the dock.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-up site: the swim beach sits at the end of the Day Use Area parking lot / adjacent to the campground dock, reachable on foot in well under a couple of minutes from a parking space, with no trail or hike involved.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
The Day Use Area has a sandy Corps-designated swim beach with calm, current-free reservoir water and an adjacent playground, so shallow entry is available for young kids close to shore. However, no official source mentions lifeguards on duty, and the beach opens onto the open lake where depth increases quickly away from shore, so young/weak swimmers should be closely supervised.
Parking
Lot
The Sweetwater Day Use Area has 40 designated parking spaces, held for confirmed shelter reservations until 1 p.m. and then available first-come, first-served; walk-in, trailer, bus, or roadside parking outside the gate is explicitly not permitted. Campground guests park at their reserved sites near the dock. No day-use entry fee for the beach itself was stated in official sources.
Restrooms
Yes
Flush toilets and showers/bath houses are provided at the campground; the adjoining Day Use Area has a restroom approximately 50 yards from the open-air shelter near the beach.
Hours
Campground/day-use entrance gate is closed nightly from 10:30 p.m. to 7 a.m.; no additional seasonal open/close dates were found in official sources.
On the water
The official Sweetwater Day Use Area listing names boating, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and swimming as popular activities on Allatoona Lake, and the campground has its own boat dock and ramp. No no-wake zone or electric-motor-only restriction specific to the Sweetwater cove was confirmed in official sources; the wider lake is served by full-service marinas offering powerboat, jet ski, and paddlecraft rental/sales.
Rentals nearby
Pontoon/tritoon boat rentals (Aloha 22 and Aloha 25 Tritoons, Aloha 26 Double Decker pontoon with waterslide, Hurricane Sundeck deck boat) plus kayak and paddleboard rentals through on-site partners Murph's Surf and Ahoy Boats
24 Allatoona Landing Rd SE, Cartersville, GA 30121 - on the Cartersville side of Allatoona Lake, a different cove/arm of the reservoir than the Sweetwater/Canton (Fields Chapel Road) side; exact driving distance between the two was not confirmed
Sweetwater Campground - Allatoona Lake: FAQ
Does Sweetwater Campground - Allatoona Lake charge a fee?
The campground is fee-based and reservable (150+ sites) with a $10 change/cancellation service fee, forfeiture of the first night's fee plus service charge for cancellations within 24 hours of arrival, and a $20 no-show service fee plus forfeited use fees; the recreation.gov listings did not state a specific day-use entry fee for the beach itself.
Is Sweetwater Campground - Allatoona Lake kid friendly?
The Day Use Area has a sandy Corps-designated swim beach with calm, current-free reservoir water and an adjacent playground, so shallow entry is available for young kids close to shore. However, no official source mentions lifeguards on duty, and the beach opens onto the open lake where depth increases quickly away from shore, so young/weak swimmers should be closely supervised.
Do I need to hike to reach Sweetwater Campground - Allatoona Lake?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Sweetwater Campground - Allatoona Lake?
The Sweetwater Day Use Area has 40 designated parking spaces, held for confirmed shelter reservations until 1 p.m. and then available first-come, first-served; walk-in, trailer, bus, or roadside parking outside the gate is explicitly not permitted. Campground guests park at their reserved sites near the dock. No day-use entry fee for the beach itself was stated in official sources.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Sweetwater Campground - Allatoona Lake?
The official Sweetwater Day Use Area listing names boating, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and swimming as popular activities on Allatoona Lake, and the campground has its own boat dock and ramp. No no-wake zone or electric-motor-only restriction specific to the Sweetwater cove was confirmed in official sources; the wider lake is served by full-service marinas offering powerboat, jet ski, and paddlecraft rental/sales.
What are the rules at Sweetwater Campground - Allatoona Lake?
Campground rules include a maximum of 3 pets, 8 people, and 3 vehicles per site, a 14-consecutive-day (or 14-of-30-day) camping limit, no off-road vehicles/golf carts/ATVs, gate hours closed 10:30 p.m.-7 a.m., and a minimum age of 18 for the primary occupant; the site is staffed (770-720-4025).
What water body is Sweetwater Campground - Allatoona Lake on?
Sweetwater Campground - Allatoona Lake is on Allatoona Lake, a natural reservoir verified in USGS hydrography data.
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